Xiang Yu, known as the 西楚霸王 / despot-king of Western Chu, was a noble and warlord of the state of Chu who led the Chu armies to victory against the Qin towards the end of the Qin dynasty. This poem was composed during the final days of Xiang Yu’s life. During this time, he was warring with 刘邦 Liu Bang, the founding emperor of the Han dynasty, in the 楚汉相争 Chu-Han contention, which culminated in Xiang Yu’s eventual defeat at the 垓下之战 / battle of Gaixia and his suicide.
The battle of Gaixia is famous for its ending, in which Liu Bang trapped Xiang Yu and his army in Gaixia and had those under his command who could sing Chu folk songs to do so. At this point, Xiang Yu had tried and failed numerous times to break out of the Han encirclement, and his troops were isolated and their rations exhausted. Upon being besieged on all four sides by the songs of Chu at night, he believed the land of Chu to be entirely lost. His troops too lost all morale upon hearing the songs of their hometowns, and fled one after another.
When Xiang Yu realised that the war was as good as lost, he cared for nothing but Lady Yu, his beloved wife who kept him company often, including on his campaigns and battles. As the two of them drank wine in their tent, Xiang Yu couldn’t help but sing this poem in sorrow, to which Lady Yu responded with a mournful dance and her own verse 《和垓下歌》 / With the Song of Gaixia. After her song came to an end, she drew a sword and slit her own neck so that Xiang Yu would no longer have any attachments.
Xiang Yu deeply grieved her loss, yet could only bury her beneath the grass of Gaixia in his haste. He then led six hundred troops to break through the encirclement and was chased to the side of the Wu River, whereupon the resident official attempted to convince Xiang Yu to cross the river with the only boat there so he could marshal more troops to his command. Yet Xiang Yu simply laughed and said: 天之亡我，我何渡为！ / The heavens wish for me to be destroyed—for what purpose would I cross the river? After saying this, he spotted his old friend and Han soldier 吕马童 Lü Matong, and told him that, for the sake of their old friendship, he would do him a favour and let him claim the bounty the Han king set on Xiang Yu’s head. So saying, he slit his throat by the side of the Wu River and gave his head to Lü Matong to do with as he wished.
力拔山兮气盖世，
Power can lift mountains—o$^1$, mettle can envelop worlds;
时不利兮骓不逝。
Yet chance shall aid us not—o, steeds shall race no further.
骓不逝兮可奈何，
Steeds shall race no further—o, what is to be done?
虞兮虞兮奈若何！
O, Lady Yu! O, Lady Yu! What am I to do with you?